MobileKittens

ABSTRACT

Mobile device software application that uses the camera in a web-enabled PDA, cellular phone or smart phone to capture a barcode image off a lottery ticket, convert it to its unique serial number, pass it via cellular data service through a database query to append or change a game database and initiate a unique computer game sessions on the mobile device that the consumer can play with variable outcomes to determine the future value of the printed ticket.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

Terminal generated lottery tickets are printed on thermal or dot matrix printers with limited graphic capabilities, but they can print machine-readable barcode formats that contain unique identifiers for a specific ticket. Those codes can be read by any standard camera equipped mobile communication devices to generate a game application that allows the player to make certain choices that determine the outcome of the game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Terminal generated lottery tickets like Mega Millions, Powerball and Pick 3 are typically printed with limited graphics capabilities from network terminals that record the ticket into a game database and house fields like purchase date, drawing date and selected numbers. The consumer then holds that ticket until a scheduled drawing is held which will determine the win/loss result of that ticket. With the development of our MobileCAT application that allows lottery ticket results to be returned by a camera-equipped mobile device/phone, the next stage of design is apparent—to allow players to play out the results on their mobile or internet device.

Lottery players and gamers want to have more interactivity and control over their game. Gamblers that play card games or other casino games typically dismiss lottery games as they feel they don't have any control over the outcome. With this application, the player can make a series of choices in their game play that will change the outcome of the ticket.

While instant scratch lottery tickets have predetermined outcomes, terminal generated lottery tickets have a time-delayed outcome. When a scratch ticket is purchased, before the ticket is scratched to reveal the outcome, the ticket is already a predetermined win/loss with a specific value. The terminal generated ticket has a purchase value, until the time of an undetermined drawing that can change its value to $0 or a range of winning prize amounts.

By changing the dynamic of the ‘drawing element’ without changing the mechanics of the game, a player can purchase a terminal generated ticket and play out the game with more control over the outcome.

The MobileKittens application uses the simple bar coded terminal generated ticket to launch a variety of interactive computer games that determine the outcome of the game. The prize structure of the game can still be pari-mutuel, creating rolling jackpot amounts and lower tier prizes based on aggregate ticket purchases, and the database manages the distribution at the point of activating the game.

This application utilizes new technology and trends that make play and wins possible, without breaching the rules and laws that govern lottery business in most jurisdictions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A mobile device application that can capture a barcode image off a lottery ticket using the built-in camera on the mobile device (smart phone/cell phone/PDA); convert that barcode into a recognizable number. Using the mobile device data connection it can submit that number in a SQL string to a ticket database where it generates an interactive computer game that gives the player a series of choices to make that will determine the outcome of the game. The outcome is secured and returned back to the game database locking in the value of that purchased ticket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1—Camera Phone Barcode Reader: The built in camera on the consumer mobile device (phone) can be used to image the barcode off a lottery ticket. Once the image is captured, the software application interprets the barcode from the captured image and converts it to the unique code of the ticket.

FIG. 2—Mobile Game Activation: Once the unique ticket code is identified, it can be used as a parameter in an SQL script that can be sent over the phone data connection to append/update a database of purchased lottery tickets. The query pulls the data from that ticket and activates a mobile game on the device that the consumer can play to determine the outcome/value of the purchased ticket.

FIG. 3—Probability Path: The random number generator provides a series of different prize outcomes based on the player's path/choice. This is generated from the available prize pool in the database and sent back to the mobile device to display the specific results based on the player's choice. After the player makes his/her choice, the outcome is sent back to the database to flag that ticket record and if a prize was awarded, it is removed from the available prize pool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Gaming enthusiasts and gamblers infrequently play the lottery because they feel they don't have any control over the outcome of the game. Rules and regulations make it difficult for lottery organizations to change this aspect of their product offering. They are bound by guidelines that mandate random outcome and no-skill type game play.

In order to remedy this conflict, the MobileKittens uses existing technology in the form of mobile phone cameras, data connectivity and operating systems that can handle the game engines.

When a terminal generated ticket (Mega Millions, Lotto, Pick 3) is printed, the ticket value at that point in time is that of the purchase price. The value of that ticket changes at the dedicated time of a drawing. Once the outcome of the random drawing is held, the ticket can be worth $0 or a range of prize amounts based on a table of matching play numbers to the drawing numbers.

Just like the future drawing, a ticket value outcome can be determined by another random action with a variable overlay. Since the lottery cannot payout more than it takes in, the prize outcome could be randomized by the database at the point of player game generation. This could include a number of different amounts in the game play. The variable outcome would then be based on the player's actions.

For example, the player would purchase a $1 terminal generated ticket at the lottery retailer for a baseball game. The lottery terminal would print a single color lottery ticket with a barcode printed on it. The barcode would contain the unique identifier of the ticket and retain a value of the $1 purchase price. The player could hold that ticket for any amount of time and it will remain valued at $1.

When the player is ready to play out his/her ticket, she uses her camera enabled mobile device with the MobileKittens application installed to scan the barcode on the printed ticket. Once the barcode is scanned, the mobile device sends a call message to the lottery database to activate the baseball game. The game play is then initiated.

The computer game would run on the player's mobile device and prompt the player to make some game decisions. In this example, the pitcher would throw a pitch and the player would have the choice of taking the pitch, bunting or swinging away. The game would continue and show the result of either hitting the ball, taking the pitch, which could be a strike or a ball, or running out a bunt. All of the mechanics of the game would be engineered to follow an outcome path based on the player's decision. The path could lead to a non-win or it could lead to any number of different cash prizes.

The game play could be as detailed as possible, but the path would always be simple for the lottery game database to log the variable outcome.

Once the game play is complete, a value code is sent from the player's mobile device to the lottery database to set the value of the printed paper ticket. The mobile device would also regenerate the ticket barcode and store it in that game record.

If the outcome of the ticket is a cash prize, the player would return that printed ticket to the lottery retailer to claim his/her prize. He could also bring the device back to the retailer and open the barcode on the device screen and hand it to the retailer to scan and validate with the lottery terminal.

Future applications will allow for full mobile purchase and validation via the handheld device.

Just like a drawing game, the value of the ticket is initially set at the purchase price until a future event happens to change the ticket value. Then the ticket reserved in the database is valued at the win/loss value for validation and claims.

DRAWINGS

The following 3 pages are images diagramming the process by which a PDA/Cell phone can be used lottery game play device that is activated/initiated by a terminal generated ticket purchased at the traditional bricks and mortar lottery retailer. Detail of each drawing is described in paragraphs [00008]-[00010] above in the section titled “BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS”. 

1) A process by which a lottery ticket can be generated by an existing lottery terminal with a future value determined by variable actions of the player. 2) A process by which a mobile computer device with a built in camera can recognize the ticket barcode of claim 1, convert to the unique identifier and communicate with the lottery database to append/change the record value of the ticket 3) The method by which claim 2 stores the present and future value of the purchased ticket. 4) A Process by which the scanned ticket in claim 2 activates a specific computer game in the mobile device 5) The method by which the prize results are randomly generated to populate the possible outcomes of the game generated in claim 3 6) The method by which the activated computer game in claim 3 sets the variable choices that the player can make to direct the path to the randomized prize outcomes determined in claim
 4. 7) The method of managing the communication between the device and the lottery information database server to log the actions of the player. 8) The method by which the appended variable outcome data is encrypted and sent to the lottery database as described in claim
 6. 9) The method by which the database sets and stores the probability outcome of the game play in claim 6 to set the new value of the ticket. 10) The method of managing the prize pool to generate possible game outcomes that do not exceed a payout threshold set by the lottery. 11) The method of throwing errors if the software determines conflicts in communicating with the hardware, communicating with the database or an inability to produce a valid result. 12) The method of generating a duplicate ticket barcode in the mobile device that can be used as an alternate or backup vehicle to validate/claim the prize at the lottery retailer. 13) The method of using the mobile device to validate and claim electronically in future implementations 